


The Brightest Star

by hbxplain



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: AU, Fluff, Human AU, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), Humor, Lamp - Freeform, Logan owns a planetarium, M/M, Mild Language, Multi, Secret Santa, Swearing, and its CUTE dang it, everyone loves logan, his boyfriends make sure of it. ...theres a lot of anxiety involved, logan gets the love he deserves, polyamsanders - Freeform, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:08:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21850477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hbxplain/pseuds/hbxplain
Summary: Logan works at a planetarium. His boyfriends know very little about planetariums. It's their anniversary, so they try their best.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton
Comments: 8
Kudos: 77
Collections: Sanders Sides Secret Santa 2019





	The Brightest Star

Patton is really, truly, _honestly_ trying his best.

And it’s weird, because he knows what a planetarium _is_ (he thinks), and he knows the coordinates of the star they bought (by heart!), and Roman keeps saying he’s got this ‘under control’ (which Patton is doubting even though he’s trying not to), and Virgil is supposed to be guarding the door but Patton can _hear_ his headphones blaring (it’s Virgil’s newest band obsession and Patton can’t understand any of the words) and _oh my god today is a lot._

But it started out simple enough. It’s their anniversary with Logan, so the three of them bought him a star! And Roman thought it would be romantic to reveal that by visiting Logan at work and _finding_ said star in the planetarium.

Patton is starting to regret turning down all those star tours.

Virgil knows the most about all this because he’s the only one whose attention span can handle the presentations, but he never actually comes _to_ the planetarium because it’s a bit of a hot spot. Logan usually just brings home high-quality photos and a word-for-word recreation of his presentation from that day, and Virgil sits patiently, headphones around his neck but still blaring, while Logan talks and Roman pipes up dramatically at random times and Patton scurries off to make cookies.

Their cookie jars are _very_ full. They might have to buy a fourth.

Anyway, Patton is starting to regret not listening more, because he can’t for the _life_ of him find this dang star! Virgil, after studying the coordinates and then checking and double checking to make sure he had each individual number right, had assured Patton and Roman that the star they needed was, conveniently enough, in perfect view from the observatory. But it seems like the stars are _moving_ in this room, and Roman can’t keep up with the star coordinates at _all._

They hear the sound of many, many footsteps out in the hall.

“Oh, uh,” they hear Virgil stammering as his music abruptly quiets, “this room is- it’s under maintenance, so- yeah, I’m so sorry for the inconvenience, um-“

“It will be back in service shortly!” Roman loudly declares, throwing open the planetarium door, and Patton squeaks and ducks down behind the podium. They are not wearing anything _close_ to the planetarium workers’ uniforms, so he’s not sure why this is working at all.

“Uh, yup,” Virgil chimes in again. “So… move on.”

Patton hears sad sighs as the group tramps away, and Roman drapes himself dramatically against the doorframe. “Oh, the closest of calls! This could have ruined everything! We could have been _single!”_

“Uh, so, _that’s_ a huge jump to make,” Virgil grumbles, “and that’s coming from _me._ Also, not how polyamory works?”

Roman whines. “I know, I know. I just- I _really_ want this to go perfectly. It’s our first anniversary with Logan, and I want to set a precedent!”

“A precedent for _perfection?”_ Virgil chokes out, wringing his hands. “Because that’s pretty much the opposite of my normal strategy.”

Roman sighs. “Well… _yeah,_ but your strategy is lame, so…”

“Roman!” Patton gasps. “Virgil’s strategy is perfectly fine!”

“He caught pancakes on fire the day before our anniversary for the sole purpose of making them correctly the next day,” Roman says, unamused.

Virgil shrugs. “I mean, you guys were impressed.”

“Yes, because they _weren’t on fire!”_

Virgil purses his lips, raising his eyebrows. “So it worked, then.”

Roman lets out a strangled cry of unnecessary emotion, and Patton giggles into his hand. “Roman, come _on,”_ he urges him anyway. “We have to find this star!”

Virgil sighs, slowly sauntering into the room. “Why is it taking so long? I swear to _god_ I got those coordinates right.” He stops, squinting. “Right?”

“Uh, _right,”_ Roman huffs. “Like, three _times_ right.”

“You did,” Patton assures him. He pouts. “But the sky keeps moving, and we can’t pin the numbers down!”

“How the hell is the sky _moving?”_ Virgil scoffs. He cranes his neck up to look at the domed ceiling, and then freezes.

It’s silent.

“Guys...” Virgil takes a deep breath. “Why isn’t the dome _open?”_

“Uhhhh,” Roman drawls, furrowing his eyebrows uncertainly. “Because… we can see the stars… through it?”

Virgil takes another deep breath.

“No,” he says carefully, “you can see the _projection_ of the stars. Because you guys are in the planetarium room. Instead of the observatory room.”

“They’re not the same thing?” Patton asks, tilting his head, and Virgil blows air out slowly through his mouth.

“Okay,” Virgil says, pulling his bangs back. “Okay, this is fine. It’s only, like, seven, and the planetarium as a whole doesn’t close until midnight. We have plenty of time to lock down wherever the hell this star is before Logan’s shift ends at eight.”

“We just have to find that observatory,” Roman finishes for him. “Which is…”

Virgil stares at him, confused. “Which is what?”

“Which is… where..?”

“Oh my god,” Virgil says, clapping his hands together in a prayer formation. “This- Phew. This is a lot. Okay, come on, there are two. Follow me.”

☼☼☼

So Roman is pretty upset about the whole “not knowing what an observatory is” thing.

He doesn’t like not knowing things. Which is a real shame, to be honest, because there are a _lot_ of things he doesn’t know.

Specifically, though, he likes to at least _look_ like he knows things. At _least_ in front of Logan, and _especially_ on their anniversary. Roman doesn’t play around with anniversaries. This has got to be _perfect,_ Virgil’s dumbass “strategy” be damned.

(It _did_ work pretty well, though… Ah, but it couldn’t work twice. The surprised is ruined, everyone expects it. Plus, Logan doesn’t like pancakes, and Roman’s not too sure about setting his boyfriend’s workplace on fire. Hmm. He’ll workshop the idea.)

“Alright,” Virgil says slowly, peering through the window of the door he’s led them to. He jumps back suddenly, pressing sheepishly against the wall. “Uh, bad news, there’s a class in there.”

“Of kids?” Roman asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Of kids. They’re, like, nine, tops.”

“At seven?” Patton pouts.

“When else are they gonna visit the observatory? Oh, yeah, sure, lunch at Stars Galore. We have a fun little bit where we stare at the sun for a while and then go home disappointed.”

Roman crosses his arms. “Okay, you don’t have to be so _rude.”_

Virgil sighs. “Sorry, I’m sorry. Maybe it’s for a camp thing, not related to school?”

“That makes sense! Sort of!” Patton pipes up, and Roman huffs.

 _“Frankly,”_ he says, “it doesn’t matter what they’re here for! _We_ need to be here for what is _most-likely_ a way better reason.”

“Oh, so do you wanna be the one to waltz in there and tell a bunch of third graders that the _three of us_ need to commandeer the whole-ass observatory for our _boy_ friend?” Virgil deadpans.

“Oh my god, _rude!”_

“Sorry,” he repeats.

Roman groans. “Whatever. Didn’t you say there was a second observatory?”

“Yyyes,” Virgil admits, and Roman feels like he’s about to give them some more bad news. _“But,_ it’s Logan’s, I think. I mean, it’s not, obviously, but Logan says he checks out to the southern observatory when too many people ask too many stupid questions.”

“That can’t stop us!” Roman says, throwing his arm up into the air in determination. “This _will_ be the perfect anniversary, so help me, gods!”

Virgil’s breathing shakes a little before he quickly gets in under control, and Roman feels a pang of guilt. Oops. Yeah, today has been a _little_ stressful.

“Hey, no need to fret, though!” Roman quickly continues, waving his hands back and forth while Patton looks on with worried eyes. “Patton and I will find the star—for _real_ this time—and you can go hang out with Logan!”

“I’m pretty sure that would be the most anxiety-inducing part of this plan!” Virgil says with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Roman frowns. “Well, Patton can’t lie, and Logan wouldn’t believe that _I_ visited the planetarium just to say ‘hi.’”

“Yeah, which is maybe a little concerning for your relationship,” Virgil grumbles. He sighs. “Sorry. But why the hell would _I_ visit him? He knows about my whole thing with crowds! Everyone does, like, two seconds after meeting me! I don’t exactly hide it.”

Patton pouts. “I know, but it’s our anniversary! That seems like reason enough, and you’re the one who listens best when Logan talks about his job! _Please,_ V?”

“Oh my god,” Virgil breathes out. “If this goes south, I’m jumping ship. We can just buy him chocolates like _normal_ people.”

“Ooh!” Patton squeals suddenly, clenching his hands into excited fists. “I can make homemade chocolates _filled with Crofters!”_

“Okay, no, no, nope!” Roman says, crossing his hands in an ‘x’ motion. “We already bought the star, Pat! We’re following through on this if it _kills_ me?”

“What if it kills _us?”_ Virgil asks. “Holy shit. Can you _die_ of too much anxiety?”

“As if you haven’t googled that every night of your life so far.”

“Well, I never get a definitive answer!”

Roman groans once more, throwing his head back. “Virgillll. My sweet and dour, my one and lonely!”

“We’re _polyamorous!”_ He hesitates, though, and Roman pulls out the puppy eyes and Virgil, grudgingly, takes one more very deep breath. “Okay, _fine._ But you guys owe me!”

“Aw, can’t you consider it a favor? For our anniversary?”

“It’s not _our_ anniversary, it’s ours and _Logan’s,”_ Virgil snorts. “But nice try. Buy me coffee tomorrow.”

“Deal!” Patton shouts, although Roman’s pretty sure that if _Patton_ buys him coffee, Virgil will still make _Roman_ do it some other time. Eh, whatever. Anything for the perfect anniversary.

“Then our plan is in motion!” he says powerfully, staring off into the distance. “Our love shall know no bounds, and even the night sky shall know its reach!”

“Sure, it’s unstoppable,” Virgil says, rolling his eyes. “But god forbid it fight a projector.”

☼☼☼

Logan’s absolutely going to _see right through him._

“Hey, L,” Virgil drawls as he walks up behind his boyfriend. Logan, shocked, whirls around on his heels, self-consciously adjusting his glasses and ties when he sees who it is.

“Oh, Virgil,” Logan says, clearing his throat. “I, uh, didn’t see you there.”

“It’s ‘cause it’s dark,” Virgil says, leaning against the wall.

“I work in a planetarium,” Logan deadpans, but then he narrows his eyes. Virgil tries not to fidget. “Speaking of. Why are you here?”

“Woof. Am I not welcome?”

“Oh, no, no!” Logan hurries to clarify. “You are _always_ welcome, Virgil. I simply wasn’t expecting your presence.”

“Well, don’t expect it to be a normal thing,” Virgil says. He can’t keep himself from nervously glancing to either side of them, wary of the many people passing them in the hall. “I’m- uh, I’m here because it’s our anniversary.”

Logan perks up, his eyes sparkling. “You remembered!”

“Of course I did,” Virgil snorts. “You’re not the only one with access to the calendar app, Lo.”

Logan’s face flushes, and he unnecessarily adjusts his tie once more. “I- I know that. I was only… pleasantly surprised.”

That actually gets Virgil to soften a little. “Did you really think we’d forget?” he asks quietly, tilting his head a little to the right.

“Well, no,” Logan says, looking at anything but Virgil. “…Er, maybe. I assumed you would just… lump this in with the day the three of _you_ got together.”

“Hell no,” Virgil instantly replies. “We’re dedicating this night to appreciating the _hell_ out of our Logan, and you can’t stop us. …And you _especially_ can’t stop Roman. He’s driving me crazy, L. I _do not_ want our anniversary to also be the day I finally snap and murder Roman.”

Logan chuckles, reaching out to grasp Virgil’s hand, and Virgil happily complies. “I would have to agree with that desire. Is he here now?”

Virgil panics for at least five seconds, during which Logan gives him a very concerned look. Then Virgil panics more, because the first words to come out of his mouth are “Kiss me.”

Logan’s go wide, but he is surprisingly easily distracted—less by the ‘kissing’ thing and more by the ‘kissing at work.’ “Virgil, I’m on the clock,” he says quickly, his voice sounding scandalized. Virgil snorts. God, he loves this man.

“Oh, sure, sure,” Virgil says. “Nah, you’re right. Second thought, I’ll just tail along to your presentations. If that’s okay. No kissing required.”

Logan raises an eyebrow. “Well, I _do_ have a couple of minutes before my next one… And the southern observatory is nearly always open-“

“Dude, you’re _on the clock!”_ Virgil says, doing his best to sound _just_ as scandalized as Logan had. Logan seems to recognize his sudden change of heart, but he simply smiles, shakes his head fondly, and allows Virgil to follow him around.

Virgil loves how attentive Logan is. But he _also_ loves how much of that attentiveness he redirects when he’s at work.

Who knows. Maybe this anniversary surprise will work out, after all.

☼☼☼

Logan is a little preoccupied. His last presentation had mostly revolved around his extended explanation as to why “ _No,_ Mr. Matthews, I _cannot_ get the stars to hurry up. _No,_ Mr. Matthews, they _are not_ paid by taxpayer money. They’re not even sentient.”

He does hear Virgil mumble “or so we think,” multiple times, which is a great reminder of why Logan is so _upset_ about being preoccupied.

He would _really_ love to put some thought into whatever is going on with his boyfriend. Virgil never visits him at work, and Logan doubts that something as technically inconsequential as an anniversary could change that; especially considering Virgil came _alone._ Logan would have expected him to at least come with the others, to provide a bit of a buffer between himself and the crowd.

But that’s not what Virgil did, and so Logan remains confused and vaguely concerned. Almost immediately, he wonders if Virgil is waiting until the end of his shift to tell him some sort of horrible news, and then almost immediately after _that,_ he curses himself for being as influenced by Virgil’s ideals as he believes Virgil is being by his.

In support of Virgil’s typical dislike of crowds, however, Virgil has also been consistently on his phone. This in itself is not unusual even in non-anxiety-inducing situations, but Virgil is tapping away like his life depends on it (though Logan is _sure_ it doesn’t), and his face is pinched with worry. Logan can’t _imagine_ why Virgil would choose to put himself through this. The two of them aren’t even spending what Patton would call ‘quality time’—at least, not in Logan’s opinion. Virgil is just… sitting there. Absently watching Logan while he presents to the planetarium’s guests. There is no sort of bonding happening, no hint of interpersonal growth. Logan doesn’t _get_ it.

Until his shift ends, at which points Logan’s irrational fear of a bad news delivery is abruptly raised to light once more. Virgil seems even _more_ anxious as Logan hangs up his name tag in the employee room, and that anxiety doesn’t cease until Virgil receives some kind of communication on his phone which immediately eases him into calm. Logan thinks Virgil is being _sketchy._

“Uh, before we leave- I know this is so weird, but before we leave, I want to show you something? If that’s okay?” Virgil says nervously. He looks like he has no backup for Logan saying no, so Logan sighs and says yes instead. Virgil seems contented, if worried by his slight hesitance.

Logan’s fear dims, however, as Virgil leads him toward the southern observatory. He considers, for a moment, that Virgil might like to take him up on his offer from earlier.

But when Virgil opens the door—after, of course, anxiously peering through the small window—Logan is met with the beauty of the night sky, and, more pressingly, with the beauty of all three of his boyfriends in one place. On their anniversary. They _all_ came to see him.

Logan feels obnoxiously giddy.

“My prince,” Roman says dramatically, bowing so low his outstretched hand brushes the ground for a moment. He glances up through his bangs, smiling charmingly. “Happy anniversary, dearheart.”

Logan feels his face flushing, but there’s no time to reply, because Patton immediately butts in after him. “Happy anniversary!” he squeals, jumping up and down. “You’re gonna _love_ your present, Lo!”

He raises an eyebrow. He wishes his face would _stop_ flushing.

“Yeah,” Virgil says, coughing awkwardly. “Uh, sorry for keeping you away from your calm-down place, man. Pat and Ro didn’t know what an observatory was, so we were a little behind schedule.”

Logan narrows his eyes. “You two _didn’t know what an observatory was?”_

Now Roman and Patton are the ones blushing, and Logan smiles fondly as they trip over themselves in an attempt to defend their knowledge and lack thereof. Virgil gives him a soft, knowing smile, and Logan reaches over and grabs his hand again.

“Hey, happy anniversary,” Virgil says quietly, and Roman and Patton abruptly look up from their rambling to expectantly watch Logan’s face. “To the brightest star we’ve ever known.” He flips a switch, and the domed ceiling of the observatory slowly opens. Logan cocks his head, uncertain. They must know he’s seen the night sky before, right…? He works at a planetarium, for god’s sake.

“In return for shining your light across our lives for a full year now,” Roman says, his language as flowery as ever, “we’ve gotten you a star in return. Albeit a, uh… a much dimmer one. But we couldn’t really find a brighter one, which is _really_ unfortunate, you see, because-”

“Happy anniversary!” Patton shouts, gesturing excitedly to the telescope in the center of the room. It’s already pointed up at the sky, and Logan finds another smile growing on his face. “We named it Logan! Roman thought that was too plain, and I wanted to name it Crofters but Virgil though there was at least a .0001% chance we’d get sued or something, and finally we just decided to take Virgil’s idea and play it safe and now you just have a star named after you!”

Logan carefully puts his eye up to the telescope, following Patton’s fairly unnecessary pointing hand. Granted, he sees a large splatter of stars, but he’s certain his is in there somewhere, and, frankly, he’s a little more concerned with his boyfriend than he is with the thoughtful present they got him.

That said, he admires the clump of stars for at least a minute, just to sate Roman and Virgil’s need for validation, before he settles back. He gives them all what is potentially the biggest smile he’s ever smiled, and then he happily opens his arms for a hug.

(Logan loves his boyfriends and he loves their first anniversary.)

(Unfortunately, they have set a very good precedent.)

(He will work all year to one-up them.)

**Author's Note:**

> secret santa for easy-meta-knight on tumblr! i submitted this on the day of the extended deadline so its possible a pinch hitter has already covered this, but here it is anyway! i had fun with this. happy holidays! <3


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